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View Amendment Current Amendment: 1 to Bill 4761

The Committee on Education and Public Works proposes the following Amendment No. 1 to H. 4761 (COUNCIL\WAB\4761C001.SM.WAB20):

Reference is to the bill as introduced.

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting SECTION 1 in its entirety and inserting:

/SECTION 1. Chapter 155, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59 -155-155.( A)(1)The State Board of Education shall approve no more than five reliable and valid early literacy and numeracy screening assessment instruments, as defined in Section 59 -33-510(7), for selection and use by school districts in kindergarten through third grade. The board shall use the same process as required by Section 59-18-310 to ensure that the instruments are valid and reliable assessments which provide diagnostic information in a timely manner.

(2) An early literacy assessment instrument must:

(a) provide screening and diagnostic capabilities for monitoring student progress in reading;

(b) measure, at a minimum, phonological awareness, decoding and encoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and

(3) An early numeracy assessment instrument must provide screening and diagnostic capabilities.

(4) In determining which instruments to approve, the board shall consider, at a minimum, the following factors:

(a) the time required to conduct the assessments, with the intention of minimizing the impact on instructional time;

(b) the level of integration of assessment results with instructional support for teachers and students;

(d) the level of integration of assessment results with instructional support for teachers and pupils.

(B) A district shall administer one or more instruments pursuant to the universal screening process as defined in Section 59 -33-510(7) in the first thirty days of the school year and repeat, if and only if, the student demonstrates literacy and numeracy deficiencies at midyear and at the end of the school year to determine student progression in reading and numeracy in kindergarten through third grade. The department shall reimburse districts for the cost of the instrument or instruments selected upon receipt of assessment data used in the progress monitoring system. All school districts must use one of the literacy and numeracy screening instrument or instruments selected by the board, provided no literacy or numeracy screening instrument or instruments must be used by school districts to determine whether a student will be promoted to the next grade level. Classroom teachers also must be provided support by the department in administering instruments and in understanding the results so that the teacher can provide the appropriate evidence-based intervention.

(C) A school district may submit a waiver to the State Board of Education to use an alternative early literacy and numeracy screening assessment. The board shall promulgate regulations describing the criteria for granting a waiver, and must include specific requirements that any screeners allowed by the waiver process be able to identify students with dyslexia or other reading disorders. The additional screener must meet minimum technical, administration, and content criteria as determined by the department.

(D)(1) The department shall:

(a) implement an online reporting system to monitor the effectiveness of the early literacy or numeracy screening assessment instruments;

(b) require school districts annually to submit data requested by the department which may be used to determine whether the assessment instruments accurately are identifying students in need; and

(c) annually report data received pursuant to subitem (b) on a grade -level basis to the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Governor.

(2) The online reporting system provided in item (1) must:

(a) track, screen, and monitor the reading and early numeracy progress of students in kindergarten through third grade toward third grade reading proficiency and mathematics proficiency at the state, district, and school levels;

(b) create a consistent statewide reporting mechanism to identify students with a reading deficiency, including students with dyslexia; and

(E) For purposes of this section:

(1) 'Deficiency' means a normative score that places a student in the bottom twenty-fifth percentile on the assessment.

(2) 'Literacy' means ability to read and write.

(3) 'Numeracy' means fluency in understanding numbers and mathematical operations."/

Amend the bill further, Section 59-33-510(7), as contained in SECTION 2, page 4, lines 34-35, by deleting /All screening tools must be able to identify students with dyslexia or other reading disorders. / and inserting /All screening tools, including those listed in Section 59-155-155, must be able to identify students with dyslexia or other reading disorders./

Amend the bill further by deleting SECTION 9 and inserting:

/SECTION 9. Section 59 -155-180 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59 -155-180.(A) As a student progresses through school, reading comprehension in content areas such as science, mathematics, social studies, English/language arts, career and technology education, and the arts is critical to the student 's academic success. Therefore, to improve the academic success of all students in prekindergarten through grade twelve, the State shall strengthen its pre-service and in-service teacher education programs.

(B)(1) Beginning with students entering a teacher education program in the fall semester of the 2016 -2017 School Year, all pre-service teacher education programs including MAT degree programs must require all candidates seeking certification at the early childhood or elementary level to complete a twelve credit hour sequence in literacy that includes a school-based practicum and ensures that candidates grasp the theory, research, and practices that support and guide the teaching of reading. The six components of the reading process that are comprehension, oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary will provide the focus for this sequence to ensure that all teacher candidates are skilled in diagnosing a child's reading problems and are capable of providing an effective intervention. All teacher preparation programs must be approved for licensure by the State Department of Education to ensure that all teacher education candidates possess the knowledge and skills to assist effectively all children in becoming proficient readers. The General Assembly is not mandating an increase in the number of credit hours required for teacher candidates, but is requiring that pre-service teacher education programs prioritize their missions and resources so all early and elementary education teachers have the knowledge and skills to provide effective instruction in reading and numeracy to all students.

(2) Beginning with students entering a teacher education program in the fall semester of the 2016 -2017 School Year, all pre-service teacher education programs, including MAT degree programs, must require all candidates seeking certification at the middle or secondary level to complete a six credit hour sequence in literacy that includes a course in the foundations of literacy and a course in content-area reading. All middle and secondary teacher preparation programs must be approved by the department to ensure that all teacher candidates possess the necessary knowledge and skills to assist effectively all adolescents in becoming proficient readers. The General Assembly is not mandating an increase in the number of semester hours required for teacher candidates but rather is requiring that pre-service teacher education programs prioritize their mission and resources so all middle and secondary education teachers have the knowledge and skills to provide effective instruction in reading and numeracy to all students.

(C)(1) To ensure that practicing professionals possess the knowledge and skills necessary to assist all children and adolescents in becoming proficient readers, multiple pathways are needed for developing this capacity.

(2) A reading/literacy coach shall be employed in each elementary school. Reading coaches shall serve as job-embedded, stable resources for professional development throughout schools in order to generate improvement in reading and literacy instruction and student achievement. Reading coaches shall support and provide initial and ongoing professional development to teachers based on an analysis of student assessment and the provision of differentiated instruction and intensive intervention. The reading coach shall:

(a) model effective instructional strategies for teachers by working weekly with students in whole, and small groups, or individually;

(b) facilitate study groups;

(d) coaching and mentoring colleagues;

(e) work with teachers to ensure that research-based reading programs are implemented with fidelity;

(f) work with all teachers (including content area and elective areas) at the school they serve, and help prioritize time for those teachers, activities, and roles that will have the greatest impact on student achievement, namely coaching and mentoring in the classrooms; and

(g) help lead and support reading leadership teams.

Beginning with the 2021-2022 School Year, the department shall identify schools that have one-third or more of its third grade students scoring at the lowest achievement level on the statewide summative English/language arts assessment, and:

(a) For each identified school, the department shall provide, at a minimum, support including the provision of reading/literacy coaches, professional learning, and curriculum resources based on the science of reading. The reading/literacy coaches provided to the schools must be hired and evaluated annually by the department, which may retain a portion of the funds appropriated in the annual general appropriations act for reading/literacy coaches to support these schools.

(b) With the balance of funds appropriated to the department for reading/literacy coaches, the department shall allocate funds to school districts to support schools not identified in subitem (a) with reading instruction and interventions which may include, but not be limited to, hiring reading/literacy coaches or interventionists or providing professional development based on the science of reading. Expenditures must be included in the district reading plan approved by the department.

(c) By accepting funds, a school district warrants that the funds will not be used to supplant existing school district revenues except for districts that either are currently, or in the prior fiscal year were, paying for reading/literacy coaches with local or federal funds. A district only may use these state funds to employ reading/literacy coaches in primary schools, elementary schools, or middle schools, or a combination of such schools, depending on the area of highest need in the district unless the district requests and receives a waiver from the department to expend the funds on interventionists who spend more than fifty percent of their time providing direct support to struggling readers in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school district shall align the placement of reading/literacy coaches to the district reading plan that is approved by the department.

(d) Funds appropriated for reading/literacy coaches must be used to provide primary schools, elementary schools, middle schools, and any combination of such schools, with reading/literacy coaches who shall serve according to the provisions of this chapter.

(e) A school or district that accepts funding to support a coaching position shall agree that the reading/literacy coach may not serve as an administrator or perform the duties of an administrator. If the department determines that school districts are using these funds for administrative costs, the department shall withhold that district's allocation of funds for reading/literacy coaches, interventionists, reading instructions or interventions, or professional development based on the science of reading.

(f) Reading coaches shall support and provide initial and ongoing professional development to teachers in:

(i) administration and analysis of screening, formative, diagnostic, and summative reading assessments to guide instruction;

(ii) scientifically-based reading instruction, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and the state's English/language arts standards;

(iii) explicit and systematic instruction with more detailed explanations, more extensive opportunities for guided practice, and more opportunities for error correction and feedback; and

(iv) differentiated reading instruction and intensive intervention based on student needs.

(g) The duties and responsibilities of a state-funded reading coach include:

(i) collaboration with the principal to create a strategic plan for coaching;

(ii) facilitation of schoolwide professional development and study groups;

(iii) modeling effective reading instructional strategies for teachers;

(iv) coaching and mentoring teachers on a daily basis;

(v) facilitation of data analysis discussions and support for teachers by using data to differentiate instruction according to student need; and

(vi) working with all teachers, including Exceptional Student Education (ESE), content area, and elective areas, prioritizing their time to those teachers, activities, and roles that will have the greatest impact on student reading achievement, namely coaching and mentoring in classrooms.

(h) State-funded reading/literacy coaches must have the following minimum qualifications, provided the State Board of Education may promulgate regulations defining additional qualifications:

(i) a bachelor's degree and an add-on endorsement for a literacy coach or a literacy specialist and advanced coursework or professional development in reading;

(ii) three years of experience as a successful classroom literacy teacher; and

(iii) demonstrated knowledge of scientifically-based reading research, special expertise in quality reading instruction and intervention, and data analysis;

(i) The Read to Succeed Office shall identify and secure courses and professional development opportunities to assist educators in becoming reading coaches and in earning the literacy add-on endorsement.

(j) For schools that have one-third or more of its third grade students scoring above the lowest achievement level on the statewide summative English/language arts assessment, the department shall assist the districts in identifying a reading/literacy coach in the event that the school is not successful in identifying and directly employing a qualified candidate.

(k) The department shall develop procedures for monitoring the use of funds appropriated for reading/literacy coaches to ensure the funds are expended for their intended uses and are not redirected for other purposes. To implement this program, the department may receive funds appropriated for reading/literacy coaches, provided that this allocation does not exceed the actual costs of the department.

(l) The department shall require any school district receiving funding to:

(i) identify the name and qualifications of the supported reading/literacy coach and the school in which the coach is assigned; and

(ii) account for the specific amounts and uses of such funds.

(m) With the data reported by the school districts, the department annually shall report by January fifteenth on the hiring of and assignment of reading/literacy coaches by school in the fiscal year. The department also shall report the amount of funds designated for use in Summer Reading Camps.

(n) Any unspent or unallocated funds may be carried forward to be used for the same purpose but may not be flexed and expended for Summer Reading Camps.

(3) The reading coach must not be assigned a regular classroom teaching assignment, must not perform administrative functions that deter from the flow of improving reading instruction and reading performance of students and must not devote a significant portion of his or her time to administering or coordinating assessments. By August 1, 2014, the department must publish guidelines that define the minimum qualifications for a reading coach. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2014-2015, reading/literacy coaches are required to earn the add-on certification within six years, except as exempted in items (4) and (5), by completing the necessary courses or professional development as required by the department for the add-on. During the six-year period, to increase the number of qualified reading coaches, The Read to Succeed Office shall identify and secure courses and professional development opportunities to assist educators in becoming reading coaches and in earning the literacy add-on endorsement. In addition, the Read to Succeed Office will establish a process through which a district may be permitted to use state appropriations for reading coaches to obtain in-school services from department-approved consultants or vendors, in the event that the school is not successful in identifying and directly employing a qualified candidate. Districts must provide to the Read to Succeed Office information on the name and qualifications of reading coaches funded by the state appropriations. Reserved.

(4) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015 -2016, early childhood and elementary education certified classroom teachers, reading interventionists, and those special education teachers who provide learning disability and speech services to students who need to substantially improve their low reading and writing proficiency skills, are required to earn the literacy teacher add-on endorsement within ten years of their most recent certification by taking at least two courses or six credit hours every five years, or the equivalent professional development hours as determined by the South Carolina Read to Succeed Office, consistent with existing recertification requirements. Inservice hours earned through professional development for the literacy teacher endorsement must be used for renewal of teaching certificates in all subject areas. The courses and professional development leading to the endorsement must be approved by the State Board of Education and must include foundations, assessment, content area reading and writing, instructional strategies, and an embedded or stand-alone practicum. Whenever possible these courses shall be offered at a professional development rate which is lower than the certified teacher rate. Local school districts, working in collaboration with the department, shall offer the courses at no charge to educators. Early childhood and elementary education certified classroom teachers, reading specialists, and special education teachers who provide learning disability and speech services to students who need to improve substantially their reading and writing proficiency and who already possess their add-on reading teacher certification can take a content area reading course to obtain their literacy teacher add-on endorsement. Individuals who possess a literacy teacher add-on endorsement or who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in reading are exempt from this requirement. Individuals who have completed an intensive and prolonged professional development program like Reading Recovery, Project Read, the South Carolina Reading Initiative, or another similar program should submit their transcripts to the Office of Educator Licensure to determine if they have completed the coursework required for the literacy teacher add-on certificate.

(5) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015 -2016, middle and secondary licensed classroom teachers are required to take at least one course or three credit hours, or the equivalent professional development hours as determined by the South Carolina Read to Succeed Office, to improve reading instruction within five years of their most recent certification. The courses and professional development must be approved by the State Board of Education and include courses and professional development leading to the literacy teacher add-on endorsement. Coursework and professional development in reading must include a course in reading in the content areas. Whenever possible these courses will be offered at a professional development rate which is lower than the certified teacher rate. Individuals who possess a literacy teacher add-on endorsement or who have earned a master's or doctorate degree in reading are exempt from this requirement. Individuals who have completed an intensive, prolonged professional development program like Reading Recovery, Project Read, the South Carolina Reading Initiative, or another similar program should submit their transcripts the to the Office of Educator Licensure to determine if they have completed the coursework or professional development required for the literacy teacher add-on certificate.

(6) Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015 -2016, principals and administrators who are responsible for reading instruction or intervention and school psychologists in a school district or school are required to take at least one course or three credit hours within five years of their most recent certification, or the equivalent professional development hours as determined by the South Carolina Read to Succeed Office. The course or professional development shall include information about reading process, instruction, assessment, or content area literacy and shall be approved by the Read to Succeed Office.

(7) Teachers, administrators, and other certified faculty and staff are exempt from having to earn the literacy add-on endorsement to maintain certification only if they are not educating or serving students in a school or other educational setting. The literacy add-on endorsement must be earned before an individual who was previously exempt pursuant to this item returns to a position where they educate or otherwise serve students.

(8)The Read to Succeed Office shall publish by August 1, 2014, the guidelines and procedures used in evaluating all courses and professional development, including virtual courses and professional development, leading to the literacy teacher add -on endorsement. Annually by January first, the Read to Succeed Office shall publish the approved courses and approved professional development leading to the literacy teacher add-on endorsement.

(9) Beginning July 1, 2021, early childhood, elementary, and special education-licensed teacher candidates must earn a passing score on a rigorous test of scientifically research-based reading instruction and intervention and data-based decision-making principles as approved by the State Board of Education. The objective of this item is to ensure teacher candidates understand the foundations of reading and are prepared to teach reading to all students.

(D)(1) Beginning July 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Commission on Higher Education, in consultation with the Learning Disorders Task Force created by Section 59-33-550, shall conduct an analysis to determine the effectiveness of each teacher education program in preparing teachers to diagnose a child's reading problems and to provide small group and individual student interventions that are scientifically based and evidence-based. At a minimum, the analysis must evaluate each teacher education program as it relates to preparing teachers with knowledge and expertise in the six components of the reading process:

(a) comprehension;

(b) oral language;

(d) phonics;

(e) fluency; and

(f) vocabulary.

(2) The commission shall report its findings of its analysis conducted pursuant to item (1) and recommendations for improving teacher education programs to the department and to the General Assembly." /

Amend the bill further by adding an appropriately numbered penultimate SECTION to read:

/SECTION __. Chapter 155, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59 -155-205.(A)(1) There is hereby created the South Carolina Reading Panel which must be supported and staffed by the department. The panel shall provide support and assistance to the department with implementation of this law.

(2) The panel is composed of ten members appointed by the State Board of Education upon the recommendations of the State Superintendent of Education. The panel members must include individuals having the highest expertise on reading instruction, with three from public or private institutions of higher education nominated by the Commission on Higher Education and three who are responsible for their district reading plans or have exceptional reading expertise. At least three members of the panel must be classroom teachers.

(3) Members of the panel serve terms of two years and may be appointed to successive terms. They may receive no compensation but may receive per diem and mileage as provided for boards and commissions. A vacancy in the panel must be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

(4) The South Carolina Reading Panel shall:

(a) review, select, and summarize for dissemination basic research on reading, reading growth, reading assessment, and reading instruction that will contribute to educators ' research-based knowledge of reading, benefit students in this State, and impact policy and practices;

(b) provide technical assistance to the department and written guidance to schools for improving reading instruction of students in prekindergarten through twelfth grade; and